Quadragesima Sunday

The first Sunday in the season of Lent

Quadragesima Sunday
Observed by	Western Christianity
Liturgical color	Violet
Observances	Church services
Date	First Sunday of Lent
2023 date	February 26
2024 date	February 18
2025 date	March 9
2026 date	February 22

Quadragesima Sunday (also known as Invocabit Sunday) is the first Sunday in Lent, occurring after Ash Wednesday.

The term Quadragesima is derived from the Latin word for "fortieth", as there are exactly forty days from Quadragesima Sunday until Good Friday. However, like Quinquagesima, Sexagesima and Septuagesima, the numeral is more likely an approximation of how many days there are until Easter Sunday, in this case 42. While Quadragesima includes both Sundays and weekdays, the beginning of Lent was later changed to the preceding Wednesday, "Ash Wednesday", to get in forty weekdays.

'Invocabit' is the opening word of the introit for the day.

Quadragesima Sunday may occur as early as February 8 or as late as March 14.

In both the ordinary form of the Roman rite and common English parlance it is known as the First Sunday of Lent.

The buergbrennen festivities centred on a large bonfire are celebrated in the towns and villages of Luxembourg on the first Sunday of Lent to herald the coming of spring.^[1]

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Quadragesima". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

^ "Die Geschichte des Buergbrennens" Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, Neuspelter Buergbrenner a.s.b.l.. (in German) Retrieved 22 February 2011.

Sundays of the Easter cycle
Preceded by Quinquagesima	First Sunday of Lent February 18, 2024	Succeeded by Second Sunday of Lent

Liturgical year of the Catholic Church

Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite of the Latin Church (1969 Calendar)

Advent	Sundays 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Immaculate Conception December 17 to 23
Christmas Season	Christmas Midnight Mass Holy Family Mary, Mother of God Epiphany Baptism of the Lord
Ordinary Time	Presentation of the Lord
Lent	Ash Wednesday Sundays 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Saint Joseph Annunciation Palm Sunday Holy Week
Paschal Triduum	Holy Thursday Chrism Mass Mass of the Lord's Supper Good Friday Holy Saturday Easter Vigil
Easter Season	Easter Sunday Octave Sundays 2nd Divine Mercy Sunday 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Ascension Pentecost
Ordinary Time	Trinity Sunday Corpus Christi Sacred Heart Visitation Saint John the Baptist Saints Peter and Paul Transfiguration Assumption Nativity of Mary Exaltation of the Cross All Saints' Day All Souls' Day Presentation of Mary Christ the King

Tridentine Mass of the Roman Rite of the Latin Church (1960 Calendar)

Pre-Lent	Septuagesima Sexagesima Quinquagesima
Lent	Ash Wednesday Sundays 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Spring Ember Days Saint Joseph Annunciation
Passiontide	Passion Sunday Palm Sunday^P Holy Week^P